Devolution
by IceonFire7
Summary: A few years after the Blackout, Bass and Miles DID find Ben and his family. Charlie has grown up with both Bass and Miles in her life. As she grows older, she and Bass start to fall for one another. One day, Charlie, Bass, and Miles are on a hunting trip when Danny is kidnapped by the Neville Militia. A basic reworking of the series from a prompt on the Good Ship Charloe website.
1. Devolution

**OK, so I know I should be working on At Times I Almost Dream, and I am, I promise. But this one was kind of eating at me to get written, so I had to stop ignoring it and just do it. This is from a prompt on the Good Ship Charloe site. Basically, it's a reworking of the series with Bass and Miles meeting up with Ben and the kids several years after the Blackout. But this is a very different Bass who did not lose Shelly and did not start a militia.**

**Flashbacks are in italics.  
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**I own nothing from Revolution (obviously). **

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><p><strong>Devolution<strong> - The granting of powers from the central government to government at a subnational level, such as a regional, local, or state level. It is a form of decentralization. Devolved territories have the power to make legislation relevant to the area.

_You say you want a revolution_

_Well, you know_

_We all want to change the world_

_You tell me that it's evolution_

_Well, you know_

_We all want to change the world - __**Revolution - The Beatles**_

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><p><em><strong>Six Years after the Blackout<strong>_

The bright summer sun was just setting for the evening when two men walked into Sylvania Estates. One was tall and dark, the other just slightly shorter and blond, dingy duffel bags slung over their shoulders. They'd been on the road for years, in search of one thing. They were tired and weary and had seen and done much in the years since the Blackout had ended life as most humans knew it.

Being early July, the gates to the village were not yet closed for the night; there was at least another hour of daylight left. It did not mean there was no one keeping an eye out for strangers at the entryway to their small neighborhood.

"Hey," Caleb Parker said. He was an old man even by pre-Blackout standards, the loss of electricity making him gruff and ornery. But he protected his own. "Who are you?"

The dark man squinted, his sharp eyes boring into Caleb. "I'm looking for Ben Matheson."

"What for?"

A smirk graced the dark man's face. "Not that it's any of your business, but he's my brother."

Before Caleb could even answer, Ben himself jogged over to the gate. "Miles?"

Miles Matheson scoffed. "Well, you are one hard ass man to find."

Ben chuckled, stepping forward to embrace his brother. It was then he noticed the man to his left. "Bass?"

"Hey, Ben."

Ben reached out and clasped Bass's hand, pumping it with fervor, patting the blond man on the back. "You guys both walked here from South Carolina."

"Yeah," Miles said, his tone sarcastic. "Only took us six years too."

Bass rolled his eyes. "We've been trying to find you this entire time. We've been to Chicago three times, to Indianapolis, Des Moines. We couldn't seem to track down your location."

"Well, after everything...it seemed hiding out in the more secluded areas was the best thing for Charlie and Danny," Ben explained. "Come on to the house. Come see the kids."

"How are they?" Miles asked.

"Good, they're good. Adjusting to life in one place, after all the years of moving around." Ben led them to a comfortable two story house with beige siding and a bright red door. A chicken coop stood out in the driveway. Crops scattered around the rest of the village.

"And Rachel?" Miles asked, his tone giving away more than words ever could.

Ben turned to him, sadness deep in his eyes. Miles swallowed, saliva thicker than he ever remembered it. Whatever his brother was going to say was going to gut him. "She disappeared...a little over a year ago."

"Disappeared..." He could barely form the words.

Bass jumped in. "What happened, Ben?"

"We'd just moved here...only been here a month or so. She went into the local town for some supplies. She never came back." Ben glanced down. "No one in town could tell me anything. If they'd seen her. If she'd even made it to town. She was just gone."

"Why didn't you go with her?" Miles reached for Ben.

"Hey," Bass said, laying a hand on Miles's outstretched arm.

"We couldn't leave the kids alone. No one had really moved this far out of town at the time. She decided it would be best if she went and I stayed with Charlie and Danny." The very idea that he'd left his wife to fend for herself seemed to kill Ben.

"It makes sense, Miles," Bass said, ever the voice of reason. "Knowing Rachel, she probably figured Ben could protect them more than she could."

Before anything else could be said, a lanky girl with long blonde hair bounded out the front door, a little tow-headed boy trailing behind her, his hand tucked in hers. She stopped when she saw the two men in front of her father.

"Charlie, this is-"

"Uncle Miles?" Her voice was unusually quiet, an air of reverence in her words. As if her beloved uncle had been nothing more than a dream that suddenly turned to flesh and blood.

Miles cocked his head. "You remember me, kid?"

Her eyes lit up and the vibrant blue of them struck both Miles and Bass. She barreled into her uncle, wrapping her arms firmly around his waist. "Of course I remember you. You're here."

He glanced down at her upturned face, the smile so bright it nearly blinded him. Wrapping his own arms around her, he patted her back a bit awkwardly. "Yeah, I'm here. Better late than never."

She caught sight of the man at his side, her eyes widening. "Oh, Charlie, this is my friend-"

"Bass?" Her voice was timid, shy even.

"Hi, Charlie." He knelt down to be at her level. Having younger sisters had prepared him to deal with children far better than Miles. "I'm surprised you remember me."

"I remember you." The adoration on her face was obvious as she launched herself into his arms. "You brought me Jimmy the bear."

He held her tightly, his mind racing back to his younger sisters. They'd be grown women by now, but in his mind they would remain little, forever frozen in time. "You still have that old thing."

"She carried him all the way from Chicago," Ben said. "Never managed to lose him, no matter where we stopped or ended up."

She pulled back, her eyes meeting Bass's. "He's upstairs. You can see him."

He smiled at her, and she responded in kind. "I'd like that."

"Danny is a little shyer, I'm afraid." Ben curled an arm around Danny's shoulder. "Charlie is my adventurer. Nothing ever stops her or slows her down."

Bass and Miles exchanged at look. She was just like her uncle in that regard.

"Go inside, guys. Pull some of that food out for Miles and Bass." Ben pointed at his children, and they scurried into the house, Charlie especially happy for the exciting new turn of events.

"Are you planning to stay?" Ben asked.

Miles glanced at Bass, who gave a slight nod. "Oh, hell, yeah. It took six years to find you, Ben. We're not just walking away now."

"There's not much left out there," Bass said, tone morose. "Family is all there really is."

Ben reached out a hand and rested it on Bass's shoulder. "Well, you're a welcome part of ours, Sebastian."

Bass just nodded, unsure if he could find his voice. He had always been welcome with the Mathesons.

"Have you heard?" Bass asked. He and Miles picked up their bags, carrying them into the house. "There's talk of another militia forming way in the east. Philadelphia supposedly."

"Really?"

"Yeah, well, they come and go," Miles said, closing the candy apple red door behind him.

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><p><em><strong>Fifteen Years after the Blackout<strong>_

Charlie laughed as Miles and Bass goofed off, play wrestling with one another in the leaves blanketing the forest floor. Her heart swelled with love for both of them; these two men, who had become more important to her than any other, save her father and Danny. She loved these trips they took, when they ventured far into the forest for an overnight hunting trip. It made her feel like she was on a mission with them, the kind of adventure they both told her stories about. The trips were always just the three of them, as her father still showed little aptitude for hunting, even after all these years. And Danny was far too sickly to be away from Maggie and her medicines overnight.

So it was just the three of them. Charlie, Bass, and Miles; the Three Musketeers as Bass called them. She'd read the book; Aaron had given it as an assignment during one of his classes. She secretly loved the idea of being considered one of their fellow soldiers. There were times they traveled into dangerous areas, but Charlie felt nothing but warmth and safety around the two of them. Her uncle and his best friend had been Marines, and without really knowing what that meant, she knew they could both best other men blindfolded.

"Guys, you're gonna miss the roasted duck," she called out, chuckling as both men stood and shoved the other away, pushing each other as they made their way back to the fire. They'd been lucky today. Their haul included several ducks, a few rabbits, and a rather large buck; the village would have meat for the foreseeable future.

"Aw, this smells amazing, Charlie," Bass said, scooping up his plate and plopping on the ground right beside her. "You make the best duck."

He smiled at her, that beaming smile of his, and her heart caught in her throat. Lately, whenever she was around Bass, breathing became an issue. But she played it cool. "Of course I do. Do you think I can rely on you guys to feed me when we're out here?"

"Oh, well, now...someone's getting cocky," Miles said, pulling the duck off the spit over the fire. "But I seem to recall you dropping your elbow earlier when you were sparring with Bass. You don't practice, you don't get to have the best part of the roasted duck."

She rolled her eyes as Miles pulled the bird apart, handing a hunk to Bass and keeping one for himself. When she glared at him, he set a piece on her plate; she noticed it was the breast meat, her favorite part. He always threatened to give her the worst portion or none at all, yet she always wound up with the best cut of meat in front of her, without fail. Neither man ever questioned it, and she loved them all the more for it. For the first twelve years of her life, it had always felt like Danny was put first. But with Bass and Miles, it was evident she was their top priority.

Not that both men didn't love Danny; she knew they'd both fight to the death to protect either her or her brother. But for the first time ever, she was someone's favorite.

"Seriously though, Charlie," Miles said. "You can't drop the elbow. Someone as skilled at fighting as Bass could swoop right in...bang, you're dead."

They'd been training her for years, wanting her to be adept enough to defend herself if neither one was around. "I didn't know there was anyone as skilled at fighting as Bass...other than you."

Bass laughed out loud at that, reaching for her hand and bringing it to his lips to kiss the palm of it, resting it on her knee before digging back into his food. "I love you too, Charlie."

He had no idea just how insane he was driving her. She'd never lied to herself. Her crush on Bass dated back to before the Blackout, when he and Miles had visited Chicago and he'd brought her that stuffed bear she still loved the hell out of. Nine years ago, when he'd shown up in Sylvania Estates with Miles, she felt that nothing short of a miracle had delivered him back into her life. Both men back into her life. But with Miles, she'd inherited a second father. With Bass...

There had never been anything inappropriate between them. She didn't doubt for one second that Bass would kill himself before ever harming her in any way. But over the years, he had become her closest confidante, her dearest friend; she told him things she wouldn't even tell Miles, never once afraid that he would spill her secrets. He knew her better than anyone else. The only thing he didn't know was how she felt about him.

She knew that he probably still considered her nothing more than Ben's daughter, Miles's niece. But her feelings had grown from that of a small crush to a full-fledged aching love.

He hadn't really dated any of the women in the village, but he and Miles did disappear every once in awhile, on a trip she wasn't allowed to accompany them on. She cried the first time they left her behind, but Bass had made up for it a few days later by bringing her a crystal amulet that she wore around her neck to this very day. When she got older and realized they were going into the local town, to the whorehouse, she wept the entire time they were away, lamenting the fact that Bass was spending his nights with some other woman.

So she suffered in silence with the love she felt for him, just happy to be a part of his inner circle, her and Miles. He didn't hide things from her, and he always treated her like an adult.

"So, we did pretty good this trip," Miles said, his voice already growing sleepy, sated from the long day's hunt and a solid meal. "Should keep us for awhile."

"No doubt." Bass stretched his long limbs, sliding down a little towards the ground. His bedroll was placed to the right of hers, close, but nowhere near close enough for her. Miles was on her left; she always slept in the middle between them, her security guards bookending her on either side.

She felt her own eyes getting heavy, all the thoughts swirling around in her head making her drowsy. "Head home tomorrow?"

"At first light. Get some sleep," Miles said, voice drifting away. She heard Bass's comforting snore a few feet behind her and settled deeper into her covers. Both men slept hard and yet could wake in the blink of an eye if need be. She'd seen it.

Even with all the thoughts of Bass niggling at her brain, Charlie drifted off to sleep, contented. He might not love her the way she wanted, but he was always there for her, no matter what. She could live with that.

For now.

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><p>The walk back was better than the one out. The weather was far more pleasant, the sun shining brightly through the canopy of trees; spring weather could always be so fickle. She walked, chatting with both Bass and Miles, the three laughing and joking and finishing each other's sentences. She was right where she belonged.<p>

As they crossed through the dilapidated amusement park that always indicated to her home was near, she glanced over at the brick wall beneath the collapsed fencing. She hid something precious there; something no one in the world knew anything about, other than Bass. Feeling his eyes upon her, her gaze connected with his and they shared a secret smile.

As much as she loved their trips, she was glad to be getting home this time. She and her father hadn't parted on the greatest of terms and she had to make things right with him. Bass and Miles had made her see that staying angry at Ben was foolish in such an unstable world. When they reached the house, she was going to sit her dad down and apologize to him.

The first indication that something was wrong was the loud commotion coming from the direction of Sylvania Estates. She exchanged a look with both men, their eyes confirming that they sensed it too. Almost in awe, she watched as a mask slid down over their faces, transforming them into the Marines they used to be. Both whipped out their pistols, signaling her to ready her crossbow.

Following closely behind them, in the sweeping pattern they'd trained her in, she fell into sync with her partners, her body becoming an extension of theirs. She still wasn't as good at it as they were, but Bass and Miles understood that and adjusted their moves to accommodate her. A wave of nausea hit her as the smell of smoke wafted from the village. It wasn't normal smoke created by fire. It was the sort of smoke she'd only smelled when Caleb shot off his rifle...or Bass or Miles shot their guns. From the way they picked up the pace, she suspected they'd come to the same conclusion.

They rounded the corner of the village gate, all three stopping as they took in the scene. A haze of smoke hung over the crops and several of the villagers were lying on the ground. It was then she saw her father, Maggie crouched over him, pressing her hands to his chest.

"Dad!" She shot forward, speeding to her father's side.

"Charlie!" Bass shouted, rushing after her.

She knew Bass was upset that she broke formation, but her father was bleeding out. She heard Miles shout his brother's name, but all else faded as she fell to the ground beside Ben's prone body. "Dad...Dad..."

Bass knelt beside her, as Miles dropped to his knees beside his brother. "Ben!"

Charlie looked at Maggie, her eyes pleading for an explanation. "What happened?"

Ben appeared to be struggling, to grab her shirt, to speak, she wasn't sure. But his hand twisted into the lapel of her jacket, pulling her closer. "Danny's gone..."

"Danny's gone?"

"What?" Bass choked, his voice hoarse.

All looked to Maggie for an explanation. "Militia...militia took him."

"Son of a bitch!" Bass stood up, backing away from Ben. "Bastards! Did they just leave?"

"It was maybe an hour ago," Aaron replied, standing off to the side, watching the events unfold in front of him. "They've got a significant lead."

"Okay, well, what do we do? What do you want us to do?" Charlie asked. Her father had been lying here dying, waiting for her for an hour. Tears filled her eyes at the thought.

Ben rolled his head in the direction of his brother. "Miles...you have to get Danny. You have to find Danny."

"Ben, don't talk, damn it," Miles said, his voice shaky, hands stained red with his brother's blood. "We'll get Danny back."

"But...you're gonna come with us, right?" She glanced from her father up to Miles. "He's gonna come with us."

She barely registered Bass crouching by her side again, but she turned to him in enough time to see him exchange a defeated look with Miles. Bass never looked defeated. She cried out at the knowledge that her two closest companions were already preparing for Ben's death. This couldn't be happening; she hadn't even reconciled with her father properly. Her eyes met Bass's, the blues in each of them swirling together, and she knew he knew her exact thoughts.

_Maggie mixed together a nasty green tea and handed it to Danny, who balked about it, but drank it anyway. She waited at the kitchen table for Ben to scold her for allowing her little brother to fall into a dangerous situation. Miles and Bass stood at the kitchen counter, drinking the swill that Aaron called moonshine. At least someone in the room was on her side. _

_Ben stepped in front of her. "You were supposed to watch out for him."_

_"I'm sorry."_

_"You know that road's not safe. Neither Miles or Bass was with you."_

_"I know. I'm sorry...really." She sat up straighter, casting her eyes to the side, making eye contact with Bass. "It's just...nothing is safe. Everything is off limits."_

_"I'm just trying to look out for you," Ben said, his voice growing hard. _

_"I don't need you to. Dad, if it was up to you, you wouldn't even let us leave our street." She glanced at Miles and Bass. "They are training me, Dad, how to fight. If I never go anywhere, what will I ever need it for?"_

_Ben sighed. "Fine, all right, go wander off into the wild blue. Go by yourself, don't take Miles or Bass. Get your throat slit by bandits or get yourself lynched by militia. Does any of that sound good to you?" _

_"Ben," Miles interjected, shrugging at his brother's harshness. _

_"It's not all like that," Charlie insisted. _

_"I don't know it can get pretty rough out there," Maggie supplied. _

_Charlie rolled her eyes. "There's other towns like ours, right? What if...what if I asked Miles and Bass to come with me? Then I wouldn't be alone. Maybe we could find some other people."_

_Ben pulled a chair out and sat at the table across from her. "Charlie, trust me, there is nothing worth seeing...not anymore." _

_"Look, I was your age once, I get it, but he's right-"_

_Charlie cut Maggie off. "Excuse me, is she a part of this family now?" _

_"Hey," Ben shouted._

_"She hops into bed with you and suddenly that makes her mom?"_

_"Charlie," Bass's voice cut clear through to her, reprimanding her for her insolence. He could get to her better than anyone else; she immediately regretted her words. _

_"No, Charlie, your mom is gone. She died, out there," Ben's voice was rising with his anger. "You want to wind up just like her?"_

_"Ben," Charlie could hear the distress and distaste seething through Miles. _

_Her father had gone too far and he knew it. "Charlie..."_

_She stood up wordlessly and filed out of the room, her eyes catching Bass's baby blues yet again. Stalking out of the house, she knew he would follow her in a matter of minutes. _

_When he found her, she was sitting on the seat of the Ferris wheel, leafing through the postcards she kept as souvenirs in a Return Of The Jedi lunchbox. Bass and Miles had assured her it was a fantastic movie. It was her secret stash. The one that only Bass knew about._

_The car dipped as his weight settled into the seat beside her, swaying and bobbing back and forth. They sat in silence for a few minutes before he spoke. "You know I would never call you out in front of your dad and Maggie. I've always got your back."_

_"I know."_

_"But they are right, Charlie. You have no idea what your uncle and I saw out there while we were searching for you," Bass explained._

_"But there's got to be other people like us," she protested._

_"Not enough." He sighed, his eyes trained on her. "They're hard to find. They keep a low profile, the way we do. No one wants to attract the militia to themselves, Charlie."_

_She stared at the postcard in her hand, the sturdy looking curved walls surrounding a place where the Chicago Cubs used to play baseball. "It's not fair."_

_"No, it's not." He leaned in, studying the postcard with her. With him so near, it was hard for her to concentrate. "You're a lot like me, Charlie. And your uncle. Always running off, looking for excitement and adventure."_

_"I am?"_

_Bass nodded. "I was a pretty smart student. I could have gone to college if I'd wanted to. But your uncle showed up at my house one day, saying he was enlisting in the Marines. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to see the world. I thought about sitting in a class all day or being out there. I chose the world."_

_"See, that's all I want."_

_"But things were so different then, Charlie." He closed his eyes, shaking his head as if to clear it. "It's just not that way anymore."_

_She pointed to the ball park on the postcard. "Do you think this is still standing?"_

_He shrugged. "I don't know. Half those places are gone now. But one likes to think that both Wrigley Field and Comiskie Park are still in existence." _

_"I didn't mean to get Danny hurt."_

_"I know that, Charlie. Everyone knows that." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer to his side. Her heart was thudding so loudly she couldn't believe he didn't hear it. "But maybe just give your dad a break. He is trying."_

_"I know..."_

_"And Maggie, Charlie she's...a good woman. And she's been through a lot."_

_Charlie sighed. "I know that. It's just...she's not..."_

_"Your mom." She lowered her head, nodding slightly. "Charlie, she's not trying to be your mom. She's not trying to take her place. No one will ever replace Rachel for you or your father. Maggie's just looking out for you."_

_"I still miss her." She swallowed back the tears that were threatening. She glanced up at him, her eyes shimmering. He'd been through it once too. Lost his entire family. "Does it ever get easier?"_

_He didn't look away from her, didn't lose her gaze, even though she knew it was still hard for him to talk about. He cleared his throat. "I don't think easier is the best word. It gets...livable. You can live with it. The people we lose, we never stop loving. We never stop missing. But at some point, we can think of them in happiness. Because we know they are at peace." _

_A small smile broke through as she stared at him, the tears in his eyes making her love him all the more. He was such a good man, who loved those he considered his family fiercely. "Thank you, Bass."_

_He pulled her towards him a little further, kissing her forehead and nuzzling his nose into the top of her head. "Anytime, Charlie. Anytime."_

_She closed her eyes and soaked in his scent, his warmth. "So I guess I have to apologize."_

_"Yeah, you do." He chuckled and pulled away. "Hey, how about you, me__,__ and Miles go on a hunting trip tomorrow?"_

_"Really?"_

_"Well, the village could use the meat. And we could probably do a little better if we go a little further out." He stood, reaching out a hand to her. She took it and allowed him to pull her out of the car. "Besides, maybe we all need a break, huh?"_

_"I'd like that."_

_"Okay, I'll square it with Miles. We'll leave in the morning." He followed her over to the brick wall she hid her lunchbox in. "But you go home and make it up to your dad." _

_"Yeah, yeah...I got it."_

But she hadn't really done it. It had already been late by the time she and Bass got back and her father and Maggie were retiring for the night. She issued him a perfunctory apology, Bass filling him in on the plans to go hunting the next day. Then she'd gone off to her room, awakening before dawn to leave with Bass and Miles. She hadn't even seen her father since. Now here he was. Dying in her arms.

"Charlie..." Ben choked out, clinging tighter to his daughter. She ripped her eyes away from Bass to refocus on her father. "You're strong. You're so strong...you're like your mom. You can do this."

She nodded, tears falling down her face. "Okay..."

"Miles." Ben's eyes rolled to his brother. "Take care of her."

"I will. Of course, I will."

Ben shifted his gaze to Bass. "Both of you. Protect her."

"With my life," Bass said, his hand on Ben's shoulder.

Charlie wailed when her father's eyes lost focus, his head growing heavy in her hands. She let his head gently rest on the ground, then swayed forward, collapsing into Bass's waiting arms. He held her tightly as she wept for her father. Still in his arms, she turned her head and caught Miles's gaze. She couldn't remember a time she'd ever seen him look so sad. Yet his eyes were determined, silently telling her they would retrieve her brother and avenge her father's death. She nodded at him, ready to do whatever it took to save Danny.

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><p>An hour later, she was packing the last of her gear, taking only the things she needed, as per Miles's orders. Scanning her room, her eyes fell on Jimmy, the little bear Bass had presented her with a lifetime ago. A stuffed animal certainly wasn't a necessary item, but she wanted him with her, as much as she wanted the man who had gifted it to her. Without another thought, she grabbed the bear and jammed him into her backpack.<p>

Along with a few pictures of her parents she found scattered around the house, Jimmy was the only frivolity she was taking. She slid the photos into her lunchbox. Bass had walked off soon after Ben expired, returning 15 minutes later, his eyes red, her secret stash in his hands. He'd gone and retrieved it for her, and she fell into his arms as another bout of tears overcame her. Then he'd sent her off to pack for their journey.

"Come on, kiddo," Miles said, leaning against the side of her bedroom door, his bag slung over his shoulder. "Time to get going."

She nodded, following him down the stairs where Bass and Maggie were gathering supplies from the kitchen. She took one look at Maggie's gear and shook her head. "No. Maggie, you can't come. They need you here in the village."

Maggie and Bass exchanged a look. "James can take over as town doctor."

Charlie chuckled, but it was humorless. "You don't seem to understand. I don't want you to come."

"And I don't think you understand. I'm not doing this for you." Maggie's tone was serious, her eyes unwavering.

"Alright, enough," Miles said. "Charlie, she's coming. Having someone medically trained out on the road is never a bad thing. Everyone in this room loved Ben and cares about getting Danny back. End of discussion."

Charlie's blue eyes met Bass's, and he gave her a small nod, telling her without words that he agreed with Miles's decision. Danny might be her brother, but these men were what remained of her family. They were older, stronger, and smarter about what they'd find out there. This was not her mission alone; she was merely a part of it.

Within ten minutes, the four of them set off. At the gates, they found Aaron standing there, full pack on his back.

"What the hell is this?" Miles asked. "You're not coming."

"Ben was my friend. I'm going too," Aaron insisted, falling into step beside Charlie.

"Aaron...not such a good idea," Charlie said, never breaking her stride.

"Come on, man," Bass said, shaking his head. "You're afraid of bees."

"I'm not afraid of bees. I am allergic to bees," Aaron said, still keeping pace with them. "There is a big difference."

"You're not coming," Miles repeated, not slowing down even a little.

"You know I'll just follow you anyway, driving you all crazy since you're all awesome trackers and you'll know I'm there the whole time." At that the little party stopped, all turning to look at the portly man. Aaron was not backing down. "Well, it's the truth."

Miles and Bass held one of those conversations Charlie liked to call Eye Meetings; they never spoke a word, but entire decisions were made, big decisions. She'd perfected the same thing with Bass. And Miles, to a certain extent.

Miles sighed, exasperation obvious, though he conceded anyway. "Alright, but you better keep up. You drag us down, you have to find your own way back to Sylvania Estates. Got it?"

Aaron mock saluted him. "Yes, Sir."

Miles rolled his eyes and turned back to the road. Bass clapped Aaron on the back. "Welcome aboard, Stay-Puft."


	2. Take Me To The Pilot

**Thanks to everyone for the reviews, kudos, and follows for the first chapter. I'm glad you're enjoying this, cause it's really getting fun to do. And I still have not forgotten I owe you another chapter of At Times I Almost Dream :) **

**There is some dialogue taken from the Pilot episode of Revolution. And, while I did include parts of the big fight scene in here, I still stick with most of the other fanfic writers who say that writing fight scenes suck. Cause they do. Hopefully, I was able to do it a teeny bit of justice. **

**I own nothing of Revolution. I still want David Lyons, yadda, yadda, yadda... Although, for this chapter I want to give a nod to Billy Burke, who I was fortunate enough to see in Ghost Brothers of Darkland County. He was awesome, performance was amazing, musical was outstanding, and it gave me a nice burst of inspiration. So thanks.**

* * *

><p>Take me to the pilot for control<p>

Take me to the pilot of your soul - _Take Me To The Pilot - Elton John_

* * *

><p>They walked for hours, until the sun dipped below the horizon. When it became obvious that they needed to stop, Bass ran on ahead, scouting for a good place to set up camp for the night. He was back within 20 minutes, much to Charlie's relief. Her heart had been in her throat the entire time he'd been out of her sight.<p>

After dinner, sitting around the fire, Aaron moaned for what was probably the tenth time.

Miles had finally had enough. "What?"

"You know a walk like this, I counted on sore. But not on...you know, the chaffing issues." He shifted again.

Maggie chuckled, while Charlie caught Bass's eye, smiling at each other over their friend's dismay. She glanced at Miles, who met her gaze head on, the mirth obvious in his eyes as well. But looking at him she realized none of them should be happy. They'd buried her father earlier that day.

Miles seemed to sense the sudden change in her. "We're going to find him. We're going to get him back."

"How?" she asked. A somber feeling blanketed the entire group. "The militia got him, Miles. How can we compete against that?"

Bass and Miles locked eyes; she saw the exchange, but didn't fully understand it. They'd been soldiers, that much was true, they'd taught her to fight, how to carry a sword, a gun. But how could two men stand against an entire army? It was impossible.

"Your uncle and I are very good at killing, Charlie," Bass drawled, his deep voice lower than usual.

She stared at the man she loved. True, he had never lied to her, never hidden anything from her...or had he? And was hiding it really the right word? He'd told her it was rough out there, he and Miles both had, but he'd never told her about what the two of them had done between the Blackout and their arrival at the village. Was omission the same thing as lying? Or was it, like everything else with her uncle and Bass, done to protect her?

Aaron cleared his throat. "Well, that's comforting..."

"Get some sleep," Miles said. For the first time ever, he wasn't on her left side. Bass was still to her right, but Miles had shifted to allow Maggie to sleep beside her, between the safety of him and Bass. She couldn't really begrudge Maggie that. Aaron slept on the other side of Miles, but traveling for a woman was a little different than for a man.

Early the next morning, Charlie made her way to the nearby stream to fill the canteens for the gang. Bass had offered to go with her, but she'd promised she'd be careful and walked off on her own. She really just needed a break. Since her father's death, she hadn't had much time alone, and she was desperate for a little space.

Rounding the corner of a stone wall, she saw a man re-threading his bow, testing the tightness with his fingers. She pushed her back to the wall, glancing out at him from her hiding spot.

"You know, most people just say good morning," he said, turning to look at her. He was young and handsome, with dark hair and eyes.

"I, uh...good morning."

"Morning," he responded, a smirk firmly in place. "I'm Nate."

She stepped out from her spot, walking towards him cautiously. Bass and Miles would throttle her if they saw her right now. But he seemed so polite and harmless. "Charlie."

"Where you headed, Charlie?"

"None of your business, Nate." Okay, she wasn't that stupid.

He laughed, the smirk transforming into a smile. A very pleasant, attractive smile. "That's true."

"I'm going to get some water." She lifted her canteens, then headed towards the stream. She cast one backward glance at Nate, his eyes still following her.

Ten minutes later, she was back at the campsite. It was on the tip of her tongue to tell both Bass and Miles about her meeting with Nate. But for some reason, she kept it to herself, handing out canteens to her friends.

* * *

><p>They walked for another full day, until the sun began to set once again. Charlie and Bass chatted as they came through a clearing in the woods. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw what was before them.<p>

"Bass..." she trailed off, her eyes wide.

He smiled at her. "They're pretty amazing, huh?"

Her eyes connected with his, and he found himself swimming in her big baby blues. He could see the excitement in her eyes, the exuberance, and her joy filled his heart.

"They're overwhelming."

An entire fleet of planes sat in various places on the runway they encountered. Miles and the others stepped up behind them. "Wow, we made good time. Didn't expect to make it to O'Hare today."

"Two days," Bass said, doing the math in his head. "Milwaukee to Chicago. That's not bad."

"Pretty good, actually," Miles agreed.

They crossed the runway to the plane, Aaron leading the way. Bass chuckled to himself; Stay-Puft was almost as excited as Charlie.

"Uh, maybe we should camp somewhere else," Maggie said, glancing around at the rather open area.

"No, come on. They usually hide a doctor's kit up front." Aaron peered into the smashed back cargo door. "Good meds."

"How do you know?" Charlie asked.

"I, uh...owned one. A plane," he responded, stepping over the luggage scattered across the ground.

"Seriously?" Charlie raised an eyebrow.

So did Bass. "You been holding out on us, Aaron?"

"A little..."

"Dick," Miles said, shaking his head.

"I, uh, worked at Google."

Charlie looked at Bass. "That was a computer thing, right?"

He nodded. "You really have been holding out."

"Yeah, well, we all have secrets, don't we?" Aaron motioned to Bass and Miles. "You two are killing machines. I didn't know that. For the past nine years, you've just been the hunter/gatherers for our village. Which I guess also includes killing, so my bad."

Bass rolled his eyes. "Whatever. How much did you lose?"

Aaron moved several pieces of luggage together to form steps. "80 million."

"Jesus," Miles said as Bass whistled.

"And I would trade it all right now for a roll of Charmin." Aaron hauled himself up into the plane.

Miles followed, reaching out a hand to steady Maggie as she gingerly moved up the makeshift steps. Bass helped Charlie up, his hands on her hips to keep her balanced. After Miles guided her into the plane, he turned back to Bass, throwing one arm up and blocking the entrance. His dark eyes dug into Bass.

"What?"

"You're Mr. Stick-To-Charlie-Like-Glue lately, aren't ya?" Miles asked, eyebrow cocked.

Bass shook his head. "What the hell does that mean?"

"Well, you've just been right there at her side. More than usual, I mean."

Okay, did he seriously have to explain this to Miles of all people? "She's part of my family, who just lost her father. Her little brother is missing. She got tossed into something unexpected. Plus, she's adventuresome, out here on her first adventure. She doesn't exactly know what to expect, and despite every warning we've ever given her, she's tender-hearted and trusts people too easily. I'm just keeping her safe."

Miles raised his hands in surrender. "Okay, all right. You two have always been close. Just saying, you seem even closer now."

Bass patted Miles on the cheek. "Don't worry. She loves you too."

Miles chuckled. "Yeah...but you know, Bass. Charlie has fabulous balance. Probably didn't need any help getting up the steps."

With that, he bumped Bass's shoulder pushing past him into the plane. It was all good-natured ribbing, something he and Miles engaged in all the time, but his best friend's words hung heavy over his head. Charlie was on his mind all the time. He couldn't even place the blame on Ben's death; it had been going on for the last couple of years. More than anything else in the world, he just loved being around her. Talking to her, joking with her, spending time with her. But the idea of voicing the thoughts racing around his head scared him. He suspected he knew what was happening, but he couldn't admit it, even to himself.

He entered the plane, his eyes searching for and immediately finding her. She was arranging her pack on a seat. "So...do you mind if we share a row?"

She looked at him, amused. The idea of sleeping on a plane must have been so new and exciting to her. "Well...I suppose that's okay."

"Alright," Miles said. "Everyone search around for things that might be of use. And let me know as soon as you find the booze."

"The booze?" Charlie frowned.

"Planes always had alcohol on them, Charlie," Bass explained.

Miles tilted his head and grinned at her. "It was one of the best parts of flying."

An hour passed as all five of them diligently searched the plane. In the end, they found a first aid kit, some blankets and pillows, some coffee that still smelled halfway decent, packets of honey, and the booze cart. Miles was thrilled.

As nightfall approached, Miles pulled Bass to the side. "We should probably do a quick sweep of the area. Cover the entire perimeter. Make sure we're safe here."

Bass nodded. "Yeah, good idea. Though I hate the idea of leaving them all here alone."

"Well, it'll go faster if the two of us do it. It's a big area." He glanced over at Maggie and Charlie, settling in the seats. "I think if they just stay quiet in here, they'll be alright until we get back. We're not going to be that far away."

"Okay, but let's get this done and get back." His eyes fell on Charlie. "We shouldn't be away from them for too long."

Miles patted him on the shoulder before turning to the others. "Hey, guys, listen up. Bass and I are gonna go walk the perimeter, make sure everything is as it should be. Charlie, you've got your crossbow if you should need it. So just stay here and stay quiet. We'll be back as soon as we can."

"And if anything goes wrong, if you need us, just start screaming." Bass locked eyes with Charlie. "We'll come running."

She nodded at him, Aaron and Maggie also agreeing.

They exited the plane, Bass jumping down from the wing, Miles right behind. They scanned the area, then looked at each other. "I'll take right, you take left?"

It was their modus operandi. They always took the same sides; though Miles never knew why Bass favored his right side. Only Charlie did. She was the only one on the planet who knew he had a blind spot.

"Hurry back, brother," Miles said, creeping off to the left of the airfield.

Bass wanted to get this over with, get back to his family, to Charlie. He hated leaving her alone out here in the big bad world she so desperately wanted to see, even if it was only for a short time. Other than Miles, he trusted no one out here with her safety. His mind continued to roll out thoughts of her as he made his way along the chain link fence.

* * *

><p>After Miles and Bass left, the others settled into their seats. The long days of walking wiped everyone out and all three fell asleep almost as soon as they got off their feet.<p>

Twenty minutes later, Charlie felt a finger brush along her forehead, rousing her from slumber. At first, she leaned into the hand, nuzzling it. "Bass..."

She opened her eyes and found herself face to face with a strange man. "Wakey, wakey..."

Charlie jerked away out of instinct, but the hand still caught her across the face, hitting her in the nose, knocking her head back. She squirmed away, squeezing as far into the corner of the seats as she could. Bass, where were Bass and Miles? She heard Maggie shout her name and could see the blonde being held at knifepoint from the corner of her eye. She tried to keep calm. They would come...Bass and Miles would come for her.

"You know, you folks should be more careful." He pointed a large knife at Charlie. "I hear there's all sorts of bad men out there on the road."

"Look, man, just take whatever you want and go," Aaron pleaded.

"Are you giving me orders?" the man asked.

"Hey," Maggie said. "Take it easy. Look...side pocket."

The man unzipped her backpack and pulled out a bottle of liquor, showing it to his friends. "Oh, ho, ho...you like to have a good time."

Charlie eyed him...they would come...they were coming...

"That's lucky," the man said, tossing the booze to the guy holding Maggie, who swished it around before taking a generous gulp. "Cause we like to have a good time too."

He yanked Charlie up and out of the chair, Maggie and Aaron shouting to let her go. All the training Bass and Miles had put her through and here she was scared out of her mind and too afraid to make a move. They would both be so disappointed in her...but they would come.

The man took Charlie to the front of the plane, shoving her against the wall as he slid his body against her. She struggled to hold him off, yelping and screaming at the top of her lungs. She heard one of the other men cough and question Maggie about the whiskey. And she realized, they still weren't there...Bass and Miles weren't there...and this is exactly what they had trained her for...to take care of herself when they weren't there.

A calm settled over her. She knew what she had to do.

Instead of struggling, she thrust the palm of her hand directly under his nose, throwing the full weight of her body into the hit. His head rocked back and she heard a breaking noise. Without giving him a chance to recover, she bent her leg and kicked at the side of his knee, listening again for the satisying crack. The move took one of his legs out from under him and he collapsed, his legs spreading as he lost balance. She brought the hard tip of her boot up and connected solidly with his groin. He bent over in agony. Almost unable to believe she'd done it, she gaped down at the writhing man, a smile spreading over her face. Bass and Miles would be so proud.

She glanced up in time to see Maggie finish throttling one of the other men with the cord of an oxygen mask, while the man beside Aaron fell from his seat, whitish foam spurting out of his throat from the poison.

Two seconds later, Bass and Miles barreled onto the plane, swords drawn and at the ready. They took one look at the situation, at the men on the ground, and ran in opposite directions; Miles towards Maggie and Aaron, Bass to Charlie.

Bass grabbed her by the arms, his grip firm. "Are you okay? Charlie, did he hurt you?"

She shook her head, tipping it towards the downed man. "Bass...I did that."

"I know..." One of his hands cupped her cheek. "You did what we taught you to do. You did good, Charlie."

Still a little shaky, she snorted a humorless chuckle, then leaned forward against him, her face nuzzling into his chest. His arms wrapped around her and he pulled her flush against him, holding her tightly, hands tangling in her hair as he stroked her back. A minute later, he pulled away, his eyes scanning over her, the blue more intense than she'd ever seen it. She saw the mask slip down again as his gaze turned to the man on the ground.

Before she could move, he yanked the man off the floor, pulling him up to eye level. She saw the exact moment when her former assailant realized he'd touched the wrong woman. In a split second, Bass pounded into him, fists flying so quickly they appeared blurry. He kept punching and slamming, the man getting limper as the beating continued.

"Bass...Bass!" Miles yelled. For one second, Charlie was as unaware as Bass that Miles was speaking. She shook her head when she realized she had indeed heard her uncle's voice. "Bass, man, he's done..."

Bass stopped, looking up at Miles, his eyes refocusing. "He touched her..."

"I know, man, but he's done. End it." Miles nodded and Bass responded in kind. Without wasting another minute, Bass snapped the man's neck and dropped him to the ground.

For a moment, she just stared at Bass...at the man she loved, had loved longer than she could remember. At the man she thought she knew completely. He'd just killed a man in cold blood. And he'd done it for her. The thought was appalling and yet at the same time, how could she blame him for once again making her feel safe. She'd always known he and Miles would do anything to keep her from harm, but she'd already disabled the guy. "Why did you have to kill him?"

Bass stared at her. "Charlie, he attacked you."

"Yeah, but he was down."

He looked away for a second, then turned the full intensity of those eyes back on her. "And do you think he would have stopped after this? That he wouldn't have tried going after someone else at some point?"

Her head fell forward. She had no answer for that; Bass was probably right.

"Charlie." Her attention returned to Bass. "I told you Miles and I are good at killing. You may find out...on this journey...that there are things about the both of us that you don't like very much."

She didn't think that was possible; that there was anything she could ever discover about Miles and Bass that would make her stop loving either one of them. This was all just coming as a surprise...she would learn to deal with it. "Well, I guess we'll all find out a lot more about each other."

He nodded, rubbing a hand up and down her back. The look in his eyes spoke volumes; she could see the worry in them, worry that she might not want him touching her, so she relaxed her body, leaning her head against his shoulder. Her actions seemed to relieve him as she heard him sigh then felt his nose nuzzling her hair.

"So...you keep poisoned whiskey in your bag?" Miles asked, his sharp gaze on Maggie.

"It worked, didn't it?" Maggie asked. "My biggest problem was making sure you didn't find it."

"Nice." Miles rolled his eyes and turned to Charlie. "You alright, kid?"

"Guess all your training paid off."

"Guess that's the last time Bass and I leave you alone," Miles said, his eyebrow raised. "But you did good, kiddo. You all did, really. Even you, Aaron."

"Yeah, thanks, Miles." Aaron shook his head before plopping down in his seat. "So...anyone want to find new accommodations for the night?"

* * *

><p>The next morning, they walked into the city of Chicago. Charlie had almost no memories of it, of living there as a child. She vaguely remembered her bedroom and the living room in their old house, but she couldn't remember the neighborhood they lived in, and she would never be able to find what had been her home for the first six years of her life.<p>

Bass walked by her side, sticking to her like glue; she couldn't really say she minded. She'd already set him killing that man out of her head. She figured things were going to change out here on the road, on this dangerous mission to rescue her brother from Neville and his militia. She would just have to find a way to deal. But she still refused to believe that they wouldn't find any good people out here either.

As they stepped through some wooded brush, a huge curved building loomed up before them, the bright red sign on the side drawing her eye. _Wrigley Field, Home Of The Chicago Cubs._

"Bass," she breathed, her hand slipping into his almost automatically. "It's still here."

"Told you it would be." He squeezed her fingers lightly. "Baseball will never die."

She smiled at him, letting him pull her along past the building. She didn't try to move away, and when he made no motion to drop her hand, she slipped her fingers between his. They walked on that way, holding hands as they approached downtown.

"So..." Aaron said. "What are we doing here in Chicago again?"

"I told you," Miles explained. "Bass and I have an associate here."

"An associate..." Aaron bit his lip. "Yeah, I'm sure that's what he is."

They made their way through the streets, the denizens of Chicago looking tougher than she'd imagined they would. Had it always been like this? Subconsciously, she stepped a little closer to Bass, suddenly understanding why he hadn't let go of her. Growing up in her little village, she was seriously unprepared for the big city. It was far better for these city dwellers to believe she belonged to a man like Bass.

As they reached the street Miles was leading them to, the town got even rougher. A group of men fighting in the street stumbled into Charlie's path, causing her to trip. If she hadn't been holding onto Bass, she would have fallen over. When he dropped her hand, she was surprised, until he pulled her against his side, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, his hand hanging loosely by her neck. It was a gesture of possession, and while she wanted to believe she could handle herself, she was extremely grateful for having both Bass and Miles with her.

They crossed the street and headed up a wide set of steps to a hotel. Aaron paused, looking up at the sign just barely hanging on above the entrance. "Wait, this is where your associate is?"

"Yeah, you know it?" Miles asked.

"Yeah, I know it," Aaron said. "I got married here."

"Married?" Charlie asked. This trip was all about discovery, wasn't it?

"A long time ago. I don't want to talk about it."

"Well," Miles said, clapping a hand on Aaron's back. "It's changed."

They entered the darkened lobby; with the windows all boarded up, the light of thousands of candles provided the only illumination. Catcalls echoed out at Maggie, but Bass's arm around Charlie protected her against every man in the place. Didn't stop her from snuggling even closer to him. God, she was even more sheltered than she thought.

"Stick close," Miles said to Maggie.

"I can handle myself."

"I didn't say you couldn't, Maggie," he said, hand on his sword as he led the group across the room. "But stick close anyway."

"Who are we looking for again?" Aaron asked after they'd taken a spot at the bar.

A man turned around, his eyes widening as he took in his new patrons. Miles smiled. "We're looking for him. Hello, Jeremy."

"You have got to be shitting me." A tall, blond man stared at Miles and Bass as if he was looking at two ghosts.

"Good to see you too." Bass chuckled. He'd slid in next to Charlie, the line of his body touching hers. It was safe and comforting and driving her crazy. Either he didn't notice or it wasn't affecting him the same way. She prayed it was the former.

Jeremy leaned forward, drawing the group in closer, as if trying to be discreet. "What the hell are you guys doing here? I thought you were hiding out up there in Wisconsin."

"What makes you think that?" Miles asked.

"Well, you thought you had a lead on your brother. I figured I'd see you guys in a few months, another failure under your belts. When you didn't come back after three years, I assumed you'd either found him or found somewhere else you'd rather be." Jeremy raised an eyebrow in question. "So if you didn't find him, where the hell did you go?"

"We found him," Miles said.

"Where is he?"

"Dead." Charlie winced at the nonchalant way Miles spoke of her father's death. But she knew deep down he was suffering as much as she was.

"Sorry."

"Yeah," Bass said, his eyes flicking towards Charlie. "It was a recent occurrence. The militia killed him."

Jeremy lifted a finger, signaling to them to keep quiet. Then he curled his hand and beckoned them out of the room. When they reached the large room behind the lobby, Jeremy motioned to the chairs around a sitting area. Charlie glanced over at a towering staircase to her right before settling on a couch beside Bass.

"Sorry about your brother," Jeremy said as he poured them all a few fingers of whiskey. "But we can't talk about the militia in there. Too many ears."

"Neville came for my brother...her father," Miles said, nodding towards Charlie. "And his troops took my nephew. Gotta get him back."

"Okay," Jeremy dragged the word out. "So why are you here? Stopping by to see an old friend on your way to Philly?"

"This is gonna be tough," Miles explained, motioning towards the group. "This is what we have. We could use your help."

Jeremy burst into laughter. "You always were a kidder, Miles. There's no way I'm leaving the safety and anonymity of this hotel."

"Jeremy," Bass started. "You owe us, man."

The blond pointed at him. "There's no way you're using that against me, Bass. That's not fair. The idea was to keep a low profile."

"Yeah, well, that's off the menu now," Miles said. "They took my nephew. We're getting him back."

"Neville has an entire damn army now, Miles." Jeremy stood and paced in front of the group. "I serve some of those sons of bitches in here. I hear the shit that he's pulling. Neville's gone insane."

Bass popped up. "So you're just gonna ignore it then."

Jeremy spun on him. "You were ignoring it just fine a few days ago, were you not? It takes Miles's nephew to get your ass moving. Or is it because his sister's hanging all over you and you don't want to disappoint your young piece of tail."

Bass dove at Jeremy, Miles leaping in the middle, pushing both men in opposite directions. "Bass, just calm down."

"He just insulted her."

"Yeah, I heard him. Let it go." Realizing Bass was no longer struggling, he released him. Turning back to Jeremy, Miles hauled back his fist and pounded it into the blond's face. Jeremy fell into his chair. "Don't you ever talk about my niece that way."

"I wanted to do that," Bass muttered.

"Alright, I'm sorry." Jeremy rubbed his sore jaw, his eyes falling on Charlie. "I'm sorry...sorry about your brother too. But I'm not going anywhere near Neville and his band of psychos out in Philly. And you both should know better. This kid is bait."

The silence drew out for a few minutes, until finally Charlie stood. "Let's go. We're wasting time getting to Danny."

All the others followed suit, standing and heading for the lobby, Bass shooting Jeremy a vicious glare as he passed him. Miles stared at the blond man for a minute. "Thought we were friends."

When they reached the outer room, Charlie's eyes fell on a young man standing by the entrance. She immediately recognized the man she'd met by the stream the day before. "Nate?"

Bass's head whipped towards her, his eyebrows furrowed. Then his eyes fell on the boy by the door. And the militia filing in behind him.

"They were following you the entire time? You idiots led them right here. Jesus, you guys used to be good at this." Jeremy shouted.

Bass and Miles ushered the others back towards the inner room, pushing them up against the staircase wall. Bass pulled both weapons, guarding his family as Miles leapt over the staircase rail. The troops pooled into the room, four men racing up the stairs to attack Miles, who kicked out with his foot to knock the first man down. He blocked the second one's blow, slashing out with his sword and slicing the man through the middle. A third man dove at him, but Miles threw a solid punch, spinning around to disarm a fourth attacker before whirling back and sticking a dagger into the third man.

Two men approached Bass and the others, weapons at the ready. Bass stopped the blow of his first attacker with his machete, swiping at the man with his sword, killing him instantly. He spun towards the second attacker, twisting and parrying, using his sword to end the man's life.

At the foot of the stairs, soldiers pulled guns, preparing to fire at Miles. He jumped behind a post, eyes drawn to the level above him. Seeing a man about to leap down, he swung his sword, killing the man in midair and holding his fallen body like a shield. The dead man took the bullets, Miles casting off the body before slashing out at yet another attacker.

Bass sliced through a soldier, ducking down to avoid a spray of bullets. He lunged forward, grabbing the gun and swinging the barrel toward a second attacker. The shot connected and he thrust his machete through the second man's stomach. His eyes connected with Charlie's wide and dazed stare. He nodded and she returned the gesture automatically, her mind almost unable to wrap itself around what she was seeing. Miles and Bass were destroying the entire squadron without breaking a sweat.

While his eyes remained on her, she noticed a man lifting his gun to shoot Bass in the back. He was going to get killed because of her, because of his concern for her. There was no way she could let that happen. Without thinking, she swung the crossbow forward on her shoulder, grabbing it and firing a bolt into the man's chest. Bass's head spun towards his fallen assailant, then back to Charlie, the blue in his eyes electric as he held her gaze.

Within moments, Miles and Bass dispatched the remainder of the unit, killing the rest of the men, except for the leader. The head of the militia troop stepped forward, swords drawn, and made it no further. A shot rang out and the man dropped to the ground. Jeremy stood behind him, smoking gun still in his hands.

Charlie scanned the dead men and noticed Nate was not among them. So he'd lied to her...he was part of the militia, spying on them from the moment they'd left Sylvania Estates.

"How did you know him?"

Bass's voice shook Charlie from her thoughts. "What?"

"You whispered his name before the militia attacked, Charlie." His voice and demeanor were stern, more so then he'd ever been with her. "Who the hell is Nate?"

"He...no one, I...I don't know him." She swallowed thickly, realizing her uncle's eyes were on her as well. Actually, the whole group was staring at her. She sighed and looked away. "He was at the stream when I went to go get water yesterday morning. I-I said hi."

"Did you tell him where we were going?" Bass asked.

Her response must have been too slow, for her uncle jumped in. "Damn it, Charlie, did you tell him anything?"

"No!" she cried. "Of course not. I wouldn't be that dumb. I only told him my name."

"Then why didn't you say anything?"

She wasn't sure if that was disappointment or something more in Bass's voice, something like jealousy? Was that possible? Her hands dropped to her sides. What if she'd messed up everything? "I don't know. I tried to stay hidden, so he wouldn't even see me, but he knew I was there anyway. Maybe I was worried that you'd think I acted stupidly."

"You didn't tell us about it, Charlie. That's what was stupid." Miles rubbed a hand over his face. "They've been following us...all the way from home."

"Yeah," Jeremy drawled, stepping behind the bar and pouring himself a drink. "And I'd say that kid is one fine tracker, cause if he didn't alert the two of you..."

"Jeremy, shut up," Miles said.

"He's right," Bass agreed, his eyes glued to Charlie. "We weren't paying enough attention. Other things were distracting us."

She stepped up to him, reaching out for his hand, yet for the first time ever, he pulled away, refusing her touch. She couldn't even begin to express how badly that hurt; Bass never, ever turned away from her. Why hadn't she told them about Nate? What an idiot she was.

"Well, good thing for you guys that I'll be there," Jeremy said.

"You're coming?" Miles asked, his voice raspy.

"Oh yeah, cause no more militia are going to show up here, right?" He sipped his whiskey slowly, his eyes traveling between Charlie and Bass, a small grin on his face. "Besides, I wouldn't miss this for the world."

Within the hour, they were back on the road, one man stronger, as they made their way east.


	3. Chains

**Thanks again for all the reviews, favorites, follows, and kudos. You guys rock!**

**I own nothing of Revolution but then we all know that already.**

* * *

><p><em>But the life cannot let go<em>

_It's a chain_ _cuts across my soul_

_Anchoring in this world_ – **Chains** – **Duran Duran**

* * *

><p>The next morning, Charlie stood staring at Chicago off in the distance. God, she wished they'd never come here, never made this journey, never left Sylvania Estates. Most of all, she wished that Danny had never been taken.<p>

Up until a few days ago, her life had been perfect. She'd had everything she'd ever wanted right at her fingertips and all she'd done was wish for a way out, an escape, adventure. Now she wanted nothing more than to go back to her little village. To have her father still be alive, to have Miles laugh and joke with her...to have Bass just look at her and give her that special smile.

He hadn't really spoken to her since they'd left the city, although he stayed close to her like always. But that was only for her protection, not because he wanted to be by her. They'd slept the night as always, with him beside her, but the distance just seemed huge, so much farther than the few feet covering the ground between them. Their bond, which had always been so strong, seemed fractured somehow. She prayed that it wasn't truly broken.

How foolish she'd been not to tell them about Nate. But where Miles was mildly upset with her, Bass was downright pissed. And some part of her wondered if it was more than just her not following their safety procedures. He was acting like he was...jealous. That very thought should have had her over the moon; instead, it only made her feel worse about not coming clean. She had no idea why she'd hid the truth, but her intention had never been to anger Bass.

God, she needed to fix the damage she'd caused between them.

"Charlie," Maggie laid a hand on Charlie's shoulder. "You alright?"

She glanced at her stepmother. "I'm fine, Maggie. Just thinking."

"He's just upset, Charlie. He'll come around." Her tight-knit relationship with Bass wasn't a secret, but it was quite possible that Maggie knew exactly what she felt for him.

A metallic sound echoed in Charlie's ears. Where the hell were the guys? "Where are Miles and Bass?"

They found all three of them, Miles, Bass, and Jeremy, fighting a few men beside a broken down train. Swords clashed and clanged as the men battled. At first they seemed evenly matched, but it quickly became obvious that her uncle and his friends were the stronger fighters. Jeremy and Bass dispatched of their attackers within moments. But her uncle played things a little differently. Instead of killing his opponent, he batted the man's sword to the side, then punched him in the nose. The move caught the man off guard, and Miles was able to swing the guy around and slam him up against the caboose.

"So, I'm guessing, and you don't really have to tell me cause I already know, you're here to collect the bounty, am I right?" Miles asked, his sword against the man's throat. The man remained silent, his eyes digging into Miles. "Yeah, okay, that's answer enough."

Charlie reached for her uncle's arm just as he was about to deliver the killing blow. "Miles, Miles, stop!"

"What?"

"Are you just going to kill him?" It had been hard enough to watch Bass do it the day before.

"He's a bounty hunter, Charlie." He cast a glance down at the men Bass and Jeremy had already ended. "He wasn't alone. And I'm sure there are more coming."

"Yeah, but...do you have to?"

"I like this girl," the bounty hunter said.

Miles rolled his eyes, then socked the man hard enough to knock him out. "Shut up."

"This is a bad idea, man," Jeremy said, wiping the blood off his sword.

Charlie glared at Jeremy, still unsure whether she liked him or not. "We don't have to kill everybody."

"No, you don't have to kill anybody," Bass said. She looked up at him, eyes locking with his. He was still angry with her, the blue fire still glowing in his gaze. "Your uncle and I do. What exactly do you think is happening here? You think we're going to waltz right into Philadelphia and get Danny back without any violence? There's going to be more than a few deaths, Charlie."

She swallowed, praying she could hold back the tears threatening to erupt. She hated the steel in his eyes; it wasn't even like looking at Bass anymore. He'd become something cold and hard, and somehow, she felt it was all her fault.

Miles must have seen the look on her face; she heard his heavy sigh. "Alright, Bass, that's enough. Aaron, come here. Help me get him into a boxcar. Got to lock him up."

"Seriously?" Jeremy asked as Bass shook his head in disbelief.

Miles had done as she asked, and yet Charlie still felt terrible. If she didn't put things right with Bass, it just might drive her insane. All she would need to do was get him alone on the walk, then maybe she could explain things to him, smooth everything over.

But as the day carried on, Charlie never found time to be alone with him. He stayed by Jeremy or Miles, never letting her approach him. She knew he was mad, but she hadn't counted on him shutting her out so completely.

When they reached Pontiac, Illinois, she tried once again to get close to him. They were entering the little town, and she was hoping he would sling his arm around her like he'd done in Chicago. True, it was a town rather like the one she grew up not far from, small and local, but she still thought that maybe he would offer his protection. Her heart sank when he remained at Jeremy's side, his eyes watching her but refusing to make contact for longer than a few seconds.

Realizing he still wasn't in the mood to forgive, she gave up for a while, making her way to her uncle instead. When they saw a man being beaten, she studied the scene for a second before turning to Miles. "What did that man do?"

"It's militia, kid. Could be anything. Spoke up, looked at them sideways...who knows?"

"But, Miles, Danny's with guys like that. What are we doing here again?" The thought of her brother being in that situation terrified her.

"I told you, Charlie. There's someone I need to talk to," Miles said. He seemed to know exactly where he was going as he led them further into the labyrinthine streets of the town. Pontiac was far bigger than it originally seemed.

"Wait, Miles, my little brother's out there somewhere." She grabbed her uncle's arm, turning him to her. Their entire group stopped, all eyes trained on Charlie. "You know he hasn't been more than five miles from home since he was a little kid, and it's my job to look out for him."

Miles stepped closer to her, pulling her into a hug. "I know, kiddo. I do. I know you're worried. We all are. But I promise all these little stops we're making along the way are to help us out. If we want to get him back, we're going to have to go up against Neville himself and a couple thousand of his men. We need all the help we can get. Do you trust me, Charlie?"

She shook her head, taken aback that he would even have to ask that question. Could he not know that? Could he and Bass not understand how much she trusted them? Her eyes locked with her uncle, before focusing on Bass. "With my life...with Danny's life."

Bass must have gotten the message because something in his gaze softened. He nodded ever so slightly at her, and a small light glimmered in her heart. Maybe it wasn't too late.

"Then just be patient with me, okay?" Miles asked. She nodded at him, and he kissed the top of her head. "Good girl."

He motioned to Jeremy and Bass, waving them to follow. Bass stopped at her side for a moment. "Listen, we're just going to be gone for a few minutes. Stay here. Stay among the people, in public, where you can be seen."

"Okay."

"Hey." He reached down and covered her hand with his own. "We'll be right back."

The fact that he was touching her again did not go unnoticed by her or her body. Her blood was practically singing at the warmth of his hand. "We'll be here."

Jeremy rolled his eyes. "Yeah, try not to get yourself killed, kid."

Bass yanked him away from her, using a bit more force than necessary, and dragged him after Miles by the sleeve of his jacket. The last thing she heard before they rounded the corner was Jeremy's complaints about being manhandled.

* * *

><p>Bass shoved Jeremy down the corridor towards Miles. "Would you stop picking on her?"<p>

"The kid's green, Bass." Jeremy cocked an eyebrow. "Not that you want to acknowledge that. But you should, considering the way you look at her."

There was no use in even pretending to feign ignorance at Jeremy's words. He knew perfectly well the way he looked at Charlie. He'd seen it in his own mirror when she lingered on his mind. Which was pretty much all the time anymore.

He knew he'd hurt her when he pulled away from her yesterday. But his emotions had been running so high following the fight; he was afraid he'd do something drastic...like tug her against him and kiss her until they were both out of breath. It was flat out time to admit it; at least to himself.

He wanted Charlie Matheson.

In the worst way, with all of his heart and soul, he wanted her. That little scene with Nate had pushed him into exploring his feelings faster than he'd intended. But he'd gotten spoiled. For all those years in Sylvania Estates, he'd had her practically to himself, so he'd never really felt the need to rush things. None of the boys that lived in the village caught her interest, even though she'd certainly caught theirs. But none of them was willing to make a move, knowing that she spent most of her time with Bass; hell, it was practically known that she was his.

But now they were out here, out in the real world again, and he could no longer afford to hesitate. Unless he was willing to let her go, which he wasn't, he had to lay claim to her before he lost her. Before someone else made a move. He had to admit it all and lay his heart on the line.

He was madly in love with Charlie. Had been ever since her nineteenth birthday when he'd realized how damn beautiful she'd become. Not that he hadn't noticed before, but on that day, when she'd walked down the stairs in one of Maggie's dresses, he finally realized she'd become a grown up. Right before his very eyes. And he'd had to face the fact that his feelings for her had changed and developed into something new.

Everything about her was perfect. She was funny; she was smart...quick-witted and clever...and a damn good soldier as well. He adored every little thing about her. And he really never wanted to be anywhere else than by her side. The age difference didn't bother him. Maybe before the Blackout, it would have, maybe, but some deep down part of him suspected he would have fallen for her even in the old world. Anyway, times had changed. Now it was about survival of the fittest. Now it was time to make Charlotte Matheson his.

Jeremy leaned in close to him. "So...does Miles know? Cause he just might kick your ass."

Bass shoved him away. "Would you shut up?"

"Hmmm...so he doesn't know."

No, but Bass kind of believed he suspected. If their conversation on the plane the other day was any indication, he wasn't hiding his feelings for Charlie all that well. Maybe he never had.

"Uh, ladies," Miles called back. "Do you two wanna shut the hell up and move?"

Bass rolled his eyes, but he and Jeremy picked up the pace. "Have to be careful here. Lots of eyes and ears."

"Yeah, sort of counting on it," Miles said. They crossed through a darkened room to a bar. "Hey, we're looking for someone who plays cards here."

The bartender looked up at them. "Lot of people play cards here."

"You'd remember this one." Miles laid a nugget of gold on the bar, sliding it towards the bartender with his finger. "Nora Clayton."

The man pocketed the gold. "What's your business with Nora?"

"Look, we just need to know where she is."

"Who's asking?"

The cocking of a gun behind them stopped any answers. The three men spun around, all three whipping out guns and pointing them at the bounty hunter they'd left on the train. "You should have killed me when you had the chance."

"That's what I said," Bass muttered.

"Yeah, I should have." Miles kept his gun trained on the man's head. "But you see, my niece, I have a soft spot for her."

"So how'd you get out?" Jeremy asked.

The bounty hunter squeezed his hand into a fist, the bloody bandage stretching across it. "Think I broke every bone in my hand trying to punch through the wood, but what can I say...the money on you guys is worth it."

Miles scoffed. "I don't suppose we could...call it a draw? You tell us where Nora is, we let you live."

"With the price tag tacked on your asses, I can retire to paradise." The man shook his head. "So, no, I don't think so."

Miles looked at Bass, shrugged. "Oh, well..."

Bass's blue eyes dug into the bounty hunter. "Give it your best shot. Let's see what happens."

"Okay." The hunter nodded at the bartender. "Let's see what happens."

A door opened and Charlie, Maggie, and Aaron were led in, knives to each of their throats. Bass snorted, anger seeping through him as he stared at the cold steel pressed against Charlie's delicate neck. He could see the set in Miles's jaw, the fury in his best friend's eyes at their family being threatened. They were going to slaughter these men.

"So...let's see how much of a soft spot you do have for your niece."

The man holding her pulled her tighter, the blade digging further into her skin. Bass surged forward, ready to slice her captor from stem to stern, but Miles's hand on his arm held him back. There were too many men against them to just jump right in. This was going to take planning.

"Alright, let them go." As soon as their friends were released, Miles turned to him, an entire conversation in his gaze. Bass got it; sighing, he dropped his weapons on the ground, holding his hands up in surrender; Miles did the same.

"Jesus." Jeremy rolled his eyes but followed them in surrendering. However, shackles were placed only on Miles and Bass.

"Sorry, pal, don't know you," the bounty hunter said, eyeing Jeremy. "The money is for these two only."

When they realized Jeremy wasn't being cuffed, Bass and Miles exchanged a glance. Bass nodded up at Charlie and the others. "Watch them."

Jeremy seemed to get the message, tipping his head and stepping back in front of Charlie. As much as he might rib Bass over his affection for her, he knew Jeremy would protect her regardless.

They were lead away, Bass casting one backward glance at Charlie. She was calling for him and Miles, Jeremy restraining her as she fought to break free.

They didn't get very far before stopping, by unspoken mutual agreement, both lashing out at the men in front of them, both shoving them away with a forceful kick. Miles leapt up, grabbing a strut above his head and swinging both feet at one of his captors, knocking the man down.

Bass ducked as a machete swung passed his head, imbedding in the wooden beam behind him. He elbowed his assailant in the jaw, ripping the knife out of the wood and slicing it through three more men, one right after the other.

Having killed all the men holding them, they both turned to the bounty hunter. Realizing he was all alone, he took off like a bolt of lightning. Miles ran after him, running up on top of a table and using the height to jump on the man, both collapsing on the ground. When the dust settled, Miles had wrapped his chains around the bounty hunter's neck, holding them taught.

"So is Nora here or not?"

The man struggled against the chain, fighting to speak. "No. Probably dead by now. She got arrested for stealing militia gold. They put her in some work camp south of here. Fort Chatsworth, I think."

"Thanks," Miles said, snapping the man's neck and dropping the body to the ground. He turned in time to see Charlie staring at him, a sad look in her eyes.

Bass stepped up to her, reaching out a hand to lightly touch her arm. "Charlie, he had no choice."

"I know." She eyed Bass, the sorrow in her eyes evident. She was going to lose her innocence on this journey, and the very thought of that killed him. "Watch them? Watch us so that you could get away."

"Yeah," Bass said. "I knew Jeremy would keep you safe until we could. Escape that is."

"I'm just glad you did," she said, her voice and eyes soft as she gazed at him. Damn, those big blue eyes. She reached for his hand again, the move tentative, as if she was afraid he'd pull away. As soon as her hand was in his, he squeezed it tightly, sensing the relief that coursed through her.

A multitude of women had passed through his life and his bed, both before and after the Blackout. But he had never, in all his years, been so head over heels before. He loved this woman to distraction. Maybe it was time to finally let her know.

* * *

><p>Later that evening, as they sat around the campfire, Jeremy picked at the lock on Miles's handcuffs while Maggie tended to a small cut on Bass's arm. Charlie sat close to him, pleased that the tension between them had passed.<p>

"So what I want to know is," Miles said, "why isn't there a bounty out for you, Jeremy?"

"Hey, I've always kept a low profile," Jeremy said, pausing in his task to glare up at Miles. "I ran that bar for years. If someone was looking for me, they would have found me already."

"Why is there a warrant out for you two?" Charlie asked, glancing between her uncle and Bass.

A look passed from Miles to Bass. "To throw us off the scent, Charlie. I'm sure the militia figures someone is coming after Danny. They can't afford to have that happen. Someone from the local town may have given the militia our names."

"Ben told them you weren't around," Maggie said.

"What do you mean?" Bass asked.

"The militia was there for Ben, but they questioned him about his brother's whereabouts as well. And yours, Bass. Then Danny intervened, and in the ruckus, Ben was shot, the militia snatching up Danny instead," Maggie explained. "But before, Ben told them that he only saw his brother from time to time, whenever he passed through town. He didn't tell them you lived with us. Why would Ben lie about that? And why were they looking for you before Danny was ever taken?"

Jeremy snorted. "Why indeed?"

Charlie got the distinct impression that once again, her favorite men were hiding something from her. That thought bothered her terribly. In all the years with them, she'd never felt that they'd kept anything from her until now.

"I don't know, Maggie," Miles said, he and Bass carrying on one of their Eye Meetings. "But now we have to keep a look out for bounty hunters as well. Something else on our tail that we didn't need."

"And, kid," Jeremy said, his gaze fixed on Charlie. "When we tell you we have to kill someone, we're gonna kill them."

At Charlie's chagrined look, Bass jumped in. "Leave her alone."

"Yeah, yeah." Jeremy opened the cuffs on Miles, tossing them in his gear.

"Thanks," Miles said, rubbing his wrists. Standing, he slipped his jacket on. "Alright, look, you guys stay here. I'll meet you in two weeks. Main Street, Lowell, Indiana. Got it?"

"Wait, you're leaving?" Charlie asked, bouncing up to stand beside her uncle.

"Don't have a choice. I gotta go get Nora. We need her."

"Who is this woman anyway?"

"She's really good at blowing stuff up," Miles explained. "And we can't get Danny back without her, Charlie. Trust me."

"Miles, come on. Let us come with you." She hated the pleading tone in her voice, but the last thing Charlie wanted was for her uncle to just disappear.

"If we all go, it'll just take that much longer." He stepped up to her, pulling her into a hug and kissing the top of her head. "Charlie, it's two weeks. Just stick with Bass and Jeremy and you'll be fine."

"Hey." Bass stood, grabbing Miles's attention. "Nora's not gonna want to see you. You didn't exactly leave things...that good."

"True, but you know I'm right, brother," Miles answered. "We can't do this without her."

Bass nodded. "I agree. So I'll go get her."

"No!" Charlie shouted. "I-I mean, we should all just stick together."

"Charlie, we're trying to make this as quick as possible," Miles said, resting a hand on her shoulder. "Bass, stay here with them. I'll go."

"She's pissed off at you, and we don't have time to waste on this." Bass bent down to retrieve his pack. "I'll go get her. Nora always liked me."

"Well, you weren't sleeping with her," Jeremy muttered. Miles rolled his eyes. "He's right though, Miles. No time to waste."

The dark-haired man finally accepted with a nod and a sigh.

"Keep everybody safe," Bass said, his eyes falling on Charlie. "I'll see you in two weeks."

"Bass wait!" She hurried after him, catching up to him on the edge of their camp. He so rarely walked away from her, but it killed her every time that he did. She hadn't even really gotten a chance to talk to him since their little spat; she most certainly didn't want him leaving their camp for the next few weeks. "Let me go with you."

He placed a hand on her cheek. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the others all seemed to find themselves busy elsewhere. All except Jeremy, who was watching them with a huge smirk plastered on his face. She was pretty certain that at some point she was going to slug him, or at least break her hand trying. "Charlie, stay here with Miles. You guys will be safe. I can handle myself. I'll see you in two weeks time."

"But...we didn't even get to...talk." She was stammering; she never stammered around Bass. "I'm sorry. About Nate...I-"

"I know. It's alright. I'm not mad about it anymore." His electric blue eyes studied her, the intensity in them making her feel fuzzy and warm. "You and I have to have a big talk, Charlie, but...in two weeks, okay?"

"Bass..."

He grabbed her hand, squeezing her fingers, caressing them. He raised her hand to his mouth, closing his eyes as he brushed his lips over her fingertips. Then he lifted his head, his eyes locked on hers. "Two weeks."

Bass turned and left the camp. She stood watching until the darkness swallowed him.

* * *

><p>A few hours later, as everyone slept, Charlie gently slid out from under her covers, slipping her backpack on her shoulders. There was no way she was letting him go alone. She'd dutifully played along, staying at the camp, sitting around the fire. But her mind hadn't strayed from Bass for even a second.<p>

On her hands and knees, she crawled backwards away from the camp, her eyes trained on Miles's sleeping form the whole time. He was the one she was worried about; if anyone was going to wake up and foil her plan to follow Bass, it was going to be him. So she stayed low, hunkered down and close to the ground. Once she felt far enough away, she carefully stood up, still backing out of their campsite. Figuring she was now out of range, she let out the breath she'd been holding, turning around to walk away.

And found herself face to face with Jeremy leaning against a tree. "Hi."

"I-I'm-"

"Sneaking off to go find Bass?" Jeremy supplied, an eyebrow raised at her.

"No, I..." At his disbelieving look, she gave up all pretense. "He's by himself."

"He does know how to handle himself, you know," he said pointedly. "He was a Marine."

"Yeah, everyone always says that, but I don't know what that means."

"It means he can handle himself." The blank look on her face must have convinced him to explain further. "It was a branch of the military, kid. They were all tough, but Marines were notoriously so. See, most of these yahoos running around after the Blackout with guns and weapons, they just got lucky. They're guys who survived. Men like Bass and your uncle, they were military trained to survive."

"So they're tougher than a lot of these other men?" she asked. No one had ever really explained this to her. In their village, both Bass and Miles were just one of the guys.

Jeremy chuckled. "Yeah. They can beat a lot of other men without blinking. You saw them in Chicago. And not only were they Marines, they were sergeants. Men like that became valuable after the Blackout. Because of their training...because they know how to fight, how to plan, how to do things like get your brother back from Neville. Everyone wants someone like them on their side, Charlie, and you have two."

She wrinkled her forehead. "What do you mean?"

"Neville has an entire militia, but most of those men are loyal out of fear. You have two men, far better trained than most of Neville's army, who would walk into the fires of hell for you. Because they adore you, both of them. So while this probably is a suicide mission, with these two beside you, you just may have a chance at saving your little brother."

"You think?"

"I think." He tipped his head in the general direction Bass had gone. "Go."

Her eyes widened in surprise. "You're not gonna tell Miles?"

"I'm not stupid enough to tell your uncle a thing. You're gone in the morning...I never saw you." He shot her a lopsided grin that she found herself returning. Maybe Jeremy wasn't so bad after all. "Just be careful, kid, alright?"

"I will." She cast a glance back towards the campfire. "They trained me."

"Yeah, I figured. But find him quick, okay? Don't need to be wandering around out there by yourself."

If she didn't know better, she would have sworn that he was a little worried about her. "I will."

"I mean it. Bass would flip if something happened to you because you were out there looking for him." Their eyes connected and Charlie realized he knew, knew all about Bass's family and what he had lost.

"I'll find him." She took a few steps away, then turned to him. "Thank you, Jeremy."

"I know he means a lot to you, kid. But you hang the moon as far as he's concerned." Surprise covered her face. He couldn't mean... "Come on, Charlie, you're not that dumb."

She smiled brightly, stepping around the tree he was leaning against. She paused as she passed him. "Jeremy, were you a Marine?"

"Nah...they trained me too. Now, go on. Get out of here."

She nodded, pulling her backpack straps tighter and running off into the night.


	4. Heat Of the Moment

**So so sorry for the very extreme delay on this. I got so overwhelmed over the holidays and then I caught this horrid cold that put a crimp in my updating efforts. Anyway, finally another chapter. And I am also working on another chapter of At Times I Almost Dream. I just want to thank everyone for all the support they've shown for this story.**

**I own nothing of Revolution.**

* * *

><p>It was the heat of the moment<p>

Telling me what your heart meant

Heat of the moment shone in your eyes - _Heat Of The Moment - Asia_

* * *

><p>She figured she was on Bass's trail; she'd already seen signs that he'd passed through the area. Little marks she knew he left, that someone less skilled in the art of following and obsessing over Bass would never pick up. She'd walked half the night, on only an hour or two of sleep, so she had to be nearing him.<p>

A noise in the woods, off to her right, caught her attention. Time to pick up the pace. Scurrying down a short but steep hill, she began to skid, sliding the rest of the way, falling from the concrete wall beneath an overpass. Hitting the ground, she let out a short yelp, grabbing her ankle and massaging it.

That's when she heard movement directly behind her. Looking up, she saw Nate slowly walking down the hill. "You!"

He shook his head. "I better take a look at it."

"I don't need your help, Nate. Stay away!"

He dropped his pack and hopped down beside her. Carefully kneeling by her side, he gently lifted her leg, only to find himself handcuffed to a metal pole. She pulled away, rolling out of his reach. He stood, his face flushed with anger. "Oh, that's good, Charlie. Really, I'm impressed."

"Don't be. You're stomping around like an elephant back there." She met his eyes head on, refusing to back down or show any fear or compassion. "Why are you following me?"

"I'm following your friend, same as you. Those are the orders. Bring Sebastian Monroe and Miles Matheson back alive."

She narrowed her eyes. "So you're militia? What the hell does Neville want with my family?"

"I don't know, Charlie. I can't answer that."

"Why follow Bass then? My uncle didn't go with him."

He sighed. "Someone else is on your uncle's tail."

"Well, here's where you stop following us." She turned and walked away.

He pulled on his chains. "So you're just going to leave me like this?"

"Yeah. You're such a crack soldier. You can figure a way out." Spinning around, she continued to leave him behind, calling out a last warning. "But stay the hell away from all of us!"

An hour later, she gingerly made her way past an old overgrown playground, avoiding some of the metal structures and poles sticking out of the tall grass. A deflated basketball on the ground took her back to her childhood, to a memory of a strange man who had held her at gunpoint. A man so desperate for food that he'd threatened her life.

When the hand fell on her shoulder, she nearly jumped out of her skin.

* * *

><p>"Damn it, Charlie. What the hell are you doing here?" Bass was pissed, but the spike of fear that shot through his heart when he'd seen her had yet to subside.<p>

"I'm coming with you."

"I told you I would come and find you." He settled his hands on both of her shoulders. "Remember I said that. Two weeks. Jesus, Miles is probably freaking out."

"I know, but..." Tears filled her eyes. God, there was almost nothing that tore at his heart more than her tears. "I didn't want you to be alone."

He sighed. "I can-"

"Handle yourself. I know. Jeremy explained more about...what a Marine was." He closed his eyes. That was a part of his life he'd hoped she'd never have to know about. Not so much before the Blackout, but what had happened afterwards... "So I understand you're tough and you can blink and knock guys out, but...I still didn't want you to be alone."

He grabbed her and pulled her into a big hug. What she'd done was stupid, but she'd done it for him, and he couldn't deny that the sweetness of it tugged at his heartstrings. "How'd you sneak off anyway? Miles didn't catch you?"

"No. Well, I mean, I crawled out of camp." He let out a laugh. "And I did run into Jeremy."

"Baker let you leave on your own?" He'd kill him when he got back.

"I think he knew I was determined to get to you."

Her eyes locked on his, and he nodded. Yeah, they still had to have that big talk. That was another reason he'd volunteered to be the one to find Nora. He'd wussed out a bit, figuring that he could take the two weeks to get his thoughts together. This might very well be the most important conversation of his life; there was no way he wanted to screw it up.

"I can help you, Bass."

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "I don't doubt your abilities, Charlie. It's just, I didn't want you out there by yourself. Miles is going to kill you **and **me."

"It's not your fault."

"Yeah, cause reason always works with Miles Matheson." They both chuckled. Her uncle's ability to overreact to things was legendary.

"I didn't mean to worry anyone."

"I know, Charlie." He ran a hand down her hair. Their conversation was still going to have to wait. He was right on Nora's trail. "I found what we're looking for."

Taking her hand, he led her a little further into the woods, both crouching down behind a copse of trees. Suddenly, the chain gang appeared, men and women pushing a huge vehicle on a cart. "Is that..."

"Yeah, Charlie, that's an AH-1Z Viper." At her blank look, he explained. "It's a helicopter the Marines used."

"Did you ever fly in one?"

"Yeah, I did." And he knew exactly what a fully-operational aircraft like that was capable of. "Crazy son of a bitch must actually think he can get the power going."

"Who?" Charlie asked.

"General Neville."

"But...that's impossible, isn't it?"

"Don't know, Charlie." Bass looked at her, his eyes serious. "But if he does, imagine what he could do with one of those."

She held his gaze for a minute, before turning back to the line of people. "What did those prisoners do, Bass?"

"Knowing Neville's militia, most probably just didn't pay their taxes." Her scanned the prisoners, his eyes narrowing in on what he was searching for. "That's Nora."

"Uncle Miles dated her?" Bass grunted an affirmative. "She's pretty."

"Yes, she is." Bass glanced at her from the corner of his eye, her sudden frown causing a spike in his heart rate. "But I prefer blondes."

She grinned, hiding it behind her hand. But he saw it anyway.

Their brief good mood was interrupted by shouting from the chain gang. A man had fallen right in front of Nora, who seemed to be encouraging him to stand back up. A guard sauntered over, drawing a rifle as he walked. Before another word was uttered, the warden on horseback shot the man in the head.

Charlie inhaled sharply, turning towards Bass. He wrapped an arm around her pulling her against his chest, anger seething through him. Sons of bitches, shooting defenseless prisoners like that. But he was completely outgunned. "I tell you something. I may be good with a sword, but against a rifle like that..."

"You have a gun, Bass."

"With very few bullets left, Charlie." He patted his handgun. "It wouldn't do much against these guys anyway. That's not a basic shotgun. That's an assault rifle."

Later that night, Bass watched as Charlie hid behind a tree, her eyes on the sleeping prisoners in the camp. She tapped on the tree trunk to get the guard's attention and disappeared into the shadows before he could see her. She was no soldier, but hunting had taught her how to become invisible in the woods.

The guard made his way in her direction, but she was already ducking out of view. Bass met her eyes before he snuck into the compound across from her, where Nora sat staring at the campfire.

He crept up behind Nora. But before he could touch her, she stopped him, turning in his direction. "Buddy, I'd keep your hands-"

Pressing a finger to his lips, he silenced her. Her eyes widened when she realized who he was. "Hi, Nora."

"Bass?" He reached for the chain around her ankle, ready to pick the lock on the shackle. She pushed his hands away. "No, get out of here."

It popped open with no resistance. He frowned. "It's not even locked."

"That's because I picked it." She tried to put the cuff back on, but Bass pulled the chain away from her leg and hurried her out of the compound. They both ran off, him leading her back to the rendezvous point with Charlie.

"Thank you so much," Nora whispered, hunkering behind the trees, anger evident even in her hushed tones. "I didn't want to be rescued. And I sure as hell didn't need to be."

"Look, I'm sorry," Bass whispered back. "I had no idea you were running a con here."

"What the hell are you doing here anyway, Bass?"

"We need your help." He glanced back at the chain gang, a constant eye out for the militia. "What are **you** doing?"

"Sniper rifle. I'm stealing the sniper rifle."

Charlie was shocked. She glanced from Bass to Nora. "You went through all that trouble for a rifle?"

Nora eyed her for a minute. "Who the hell is this?"

"She's..." What exactly was she to him? The woman he loved. Everything. He wasn't exactly sure those were answers he should be giving at this time. Not until he and Charlie actually got the opportunity to talk. "She's family. Miles's niece."

"His brother's kids?" At Bass's nod, she studied Charlie more intently. "I remember you guys were trying to find them. Guess you succeeded."

"Can we get back to the question at hand here?" Charlie asked, uncomfortable with all the scrutiny.

Nora rolled her eyes. "Well, that rifle is more than worth it. The militia controls all guns, so a beauty like that on the black market...priceless. I was gonna sneak up, slit the warden's throat, but now, sneaking's kind of out."

Bass shrugged. "I didn't know that, Nora. I'm sorry."

Nora was silent for a moment. "So how is he?"

No need to ask who the 'he' in question was. "He's fine. But we could use your help."

"With what?"

When Bass didn't answer right away, Charlie jumped in. "Militia took my brother. Bass and Miles are helping me get him back."

"Seriously?"

"We've got Jeremy already. We need you." Nora scoffed. "Come on, you owe us."

"For that amazing rescue?"

"You know what for." Bass and Nora held a look, an entire conversation passing wordlessly between them.

"Okay," Nora finally agreed. "But I'm getting that gun first. No arguments, Bass."

"Nora, you're never going to get close to that rifle." He motioned at the camp. "Not without them shooting you with it."

"If you want my help, we're getting that gun."

He sighed. "Alright, come on."

* * *

><p>They found shelter in an old tool shed, Bass keeping watch as Charlie and Nora rested. When morning came, Nora gathered different ingredients together, assembling what Charlie assumed was a weapon of some type.<p>

"Well, not exactly a Colt .45, but it'll do the trick."

Bass chewed on some jerky, studying her small gun. "You're going to shoot the warden with that?"

"That's the idea, Bass."

"That thing only works from a foot away. How are we going to get close enough?"

"We'll sneak up."

"In broad daylight? They know what you look like. They'll kill you on sight."

Charlie watched the entire exchange, an idea forming in her head. "So I'll do it."

Bass turned to her, his eyes a vibrant blue. "Excuse me?"

"An innocent girl, lost in the woods. I can get close."

"I like her." Nora smiled, stepping over to Charlie, gun at the ready. "I like her a lot."

"No, there's no way." Bass stepped between them. "She's not doing it."

"It's a good idea, Bass." Nora wrapped a piece of twine around the gun's barrel. "She just takes out the warden. You and I sweep up the rest."

"You can't do it." His eyes dug into Charlie.

"Bass-"

He grabbed her arm, pulling her slightly away from Nora. "Charlie, I'm not letting you do this. You start down a path like this, there's no coming back."

"Bass, we're on the road to storm into Philadelphia and get my little brother back. You said things were going to change on this trip. That we couldn't do this without violence playing a part."

He dropped his head. "I was angry when I said that, Charlie."

"But you were right."

"Look, your uncle and I will have to do things, but that doesn't include you. I don't want...this for you."

She pressed a palm against his cheek. His concern for her was always touching. "It can't just be you, Miles, and Jeremy. You've trained me. You've brought me out into the world. Let me live in it. And if it takes some of the shine off of me, I'll just have to live with that."

He leaned in, planting a kiss on her forehead. "Charlie, nothing in the world could ever make you less bright. But you're still so innocent."

She stared up at him. God, she did love him so. "My brother is worth it. So are those 30 other innocent people down there working as slaves."

The fight left his eyes. He loved Danny as much as she and Miles did. And she knew he couldn't argue against the fate of the other prisoners. "You hated it the other day when I killed that man, Charlie. I saw the look on your face. And he attacked you. For this, you have to get close to make the shot. And it's harder than you can ever imagine pulling that trigger the first time."

It would be difficult, but she still had to do this. "It didn't change the way I feel about you, Bass."

He swallowed. "I'm just worried that it will change the way **you** feel about you, Charlie."

"I have to try." She pulled away from him, stepping up to Nora. "What do I have to do?"

Nora wrapped the twine around Charlie's wrist, strapping the makeshift gun to her body. Bass slid her jacket back on, carefully setting it over her lower arm. Her eyes met Bass's and she couldn't remember a time that she'd ever wanted to kiss him more. He must have sensed it, sensed something between them, because he pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly and whispering 'good luck' in her ear.

A few minutes later, she stepped into the full view of the guards, standing awkwardly and staring at them. It only took a moment before she was spotted.

"You!" A guard shouted at her, readying his gun. "Put it down. Right now!"

She gently dropped her crossbow and lifted her arms in surrender. "I'm sorry. I was just hunting."

He stomped over to her. "What the hell are you doing?"

"I was hunting." She schooled her features to be stoic, the way her uncle and Bass had trained her. "I got lost."

He picked up her crossbow, yanking her forward by the arm.

"Hey! Take it easy," the warden said. "Bring her over here."

It felt as if time was moving in slow motion as she was marched over to the warden. Her mind flashed back to the day she'd recalled earlier, when the man had threatened her life and stolen her family's food. Her father had been unable to pull the trigger. But her mother...when push came to shove and the people she loved were in danger, Rachel Matheson acted, shooting the man in the back as he walked away. Ben had told her she was strong, like her mother. She prayed she had the strength to follow in her mother's footsteps right now.

"So, you're lost, huh?" the warden asked. She nodded ever so slightly. "I know the area pretty good. Where you from?"

She hesitated for only a moment. Bass was right; it was harder than it should be to pull the trigger. The memories of her mother echoed through her brain, and she shot the gun, the ammo firing directly into the man's chest. She flipped forward, scooping up the rifle he'd dropped and rolling out of the way of the sword arcing down towards her. She used the gun to block her attacker's sword, holding it as far from her face as possible.

Suddenly, arrows took out a few of the other guards, and she knew her friends had entered the camp. But she could see one man pulling his weapon as he ran in her direction. Struggling with the guard above her, she tried to keep an eye on the new approaching assailant. A familiar shout reached her ears, and the soldier fell a few feet from her. But more militia swarmed around Bass and Nora.

So she was on her own again. She relaxed one of her arms, allowing the gun to dip down but also providing her with a chance to gain some upwards momentum. She smacked the butt of the gun into the guard's face, knocking him back. Getting a grip on the gun, she fired a direct shot as he leapt for her again. The force of the blast knocked him back, and he collapsed on the ground in a heap.

Bass's eyes met hers and he ran over to her, helping her up and checking her over for injuries. A small yelp from Nora pulled their attention away from each other. Charlie and Bass hurried over to her, helping her over to a tree stump. She'd gotten a fierce-looking slash across the ribs.

"I can take care of it," Nora insisted. "Just help get these people unchained. These people you set free, Charlie."

Charlie wasn't sure why that didn't make her feel any better.

* * *

><p>After all the prisoners were released, Bass found Charlie sitting off by herself, a distant look on her face. He was worried about her state of mind; she'd been quiet ever since they'd raided the camp. He plopped down beside her, resting a hand on top of hers and threading their fingers together. "Hey, how are you?"<p>

"I killed two men, Bass. How do you think I am?"

"I'm so sorry, Charlie. I never wanted you to have to do things like this. I never wanted...I never wanted you to have to leave Sylvania Estates." He looked away from her, off into the woods. "I know you wanted to see the world, but I knew what this world had to offer. I just wanted to keep you from it. We all did."

"But this is the world we live in, Bass. You can't keep me from it forever."

"I know." His eyes found hers. "Doesn't mean I have to like it. You should be in a better world than this one, Charlie."

"Not everything in this world is bad."

Her eyes were so sincere as she gazed at him. Time to stop beating around the bush, idiot. Talk to her. Tell her. "Charlie, I-I told you we needed to talk. Maybe we should...do that."

A small smile found its way to her face. "Maybe..."

Jesus, this was going to be harder than he'd thought. It was ridiculous; he was never nervous around her. "Charlie, you're an amazing woman. And...I've always thought of you as very special."

"I always thought you were special too, Bass."

"We've been friends, good friends, for a long time now." She nodded. "And I just need you to know that you mean a lot to me."

"I do."

"I would never want to do anything to hurt you." Damn, he sounded like he was ending things with her, not asking her to be his. Step up and be a man. "Charlie, my feelings for you have changed. I can't look at you and see the little girl that you were anymore. All I see is this stunning, beautiful, intelligent woman who takes my breath away every time I'm around her. And I have no idea if you could ever feel anything for me, other than friendship. Also, I'm older than you, a lot older. And on this trip, you may meet some young men, your age-"

His ramble was cut off when she turned his head towards her and kissed him, her lips soft against his. He responded but didn't allow the kiss to turn passionate. It was, however, filled with a promise of love. After a moment, she pulled away, resting her forehead against his and gazing into his eyes. "Age doesn't matter to me, Bass. There is no one I could ever want more than you."

Bass chuckled. "I had this whole big speech I was going to use to convince you."

Smiling, she nuzzled her face against his beard. "I don't need convincing. But sorry to throw you off your game. I've been in love with you for years, Bass. Did you seriously not know?"

"Maybe I was afraid to hope." He kissed her again, a little more heated this time. "And you're so much younger. Not that I ever had any inappropriate thoughts about you when you were younger."

"Yeah, I know, Bass." She smirked up at him. "Sadly, I can't say the same...I had plenty of inappropriate thoughts about you when I was a teenager."

Her words shot a lightning bolt through his body, warming his blood. He placed another small kiss on her lips. "I can live with that."

"When did you know?"

He stroked a hand down her hair. "When you were 19. On your birthday, we had that special dinner for you. And you wore that electric blue dress of Maggie's. Your eyes seemed to be glowing that night. All of you was. And I'd never seen anything more breathtaking."

"Bass..."

"But it's more than your beauty, Charlie. I love being with you."

"I love being with you too." She snuggled in closer, wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her nose against his jaw. Suddenly, she pulled back. "Wait, you knew when I was 19, and you waited until now?"

He tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear. "Well, I kind of had you to myself at home. Out here on the road..."

"Nate freaked you out?" She arched an eyebrow at him, the answer already evident.

"A little. He certainly made me think about it. I guess you could say he kicked my ass into gear."

"Suddenly, I'm glad we met him." She grabbed his hand. "In the spirit of full disclosure, I did run into him on my way here."

"What? Jesus, Charlie."

"I took care of it. I chained him to an emergency call box pole. And I hid my tracks. I don't think he's going to follow us anymore."

He smiled at her. After all this time, this incredible woman was his. Finally. He reached out for her. "Come here."

He kissed her once again, a small moan escaping her as it deepened. "Bass, what about Miles? Will he be okay with this?"

"Yeah, Charlie, he either will be or he'll come around." He narrowed his eyes, his best friend on his mind. "I suspect he may already know. Regardless, he knows there is no one on this earth who will protect you and look out for you as much as I will. I would die for you, Charlie."

"I don't want you to die for me, Bass. I want you to live for me." She kissed him gently. God, he would never get tired of her touch.

"I can do that." She rested her head against his chest. "We're going to take this slow, Charlie. I don't want to mess this up with you. Plus, being on the road like this, we're not going to get a lot of time alone."

"So no snuggling?" She pressed her nose against his chest, inhaling his scent.

"Well, I didn't say that." He kissed the top of her head. "But let's just take our time."

"As long as we're together, Bass, I don't care." He heard the smile and contentment in her voice. It wrapped his thoughts right back around to what she'd faced with the militia guards.

"I'm still so sorry about today, Charlie."

"We have to get Danny back at all costs. I told you he was worth it."

"I know." He ran his hand up and down her back. "I know, baby, but I don't want you to get lost along the way."

"I won't. I have you and Miles on my side. You won't let me fall too far."

He wanted to tell her that he would never allow that to happen, that he would always be there to shelter her. But he was afraid of what this journey would do to all of them. This trip into the heart of the beast's lair.

And he suspected the one huge mistake he and Miles had made had already come back to bite them on the ass. 

* * *

><p>So I figured in this story, I wasn't going to keep Charlie and Bass apart for a long time. Doesn't mean there won't be a few rocky roads for them, but hey, Charloe from here on out :)<p> 


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